Vast Aire - OX 2010: A Street Odyssey

There’s an inherent nostalgia to Vast Aire’sOX 2010: A Street Odyssey. Not only does the title strategically allude to his seminal debut, The Cold Vein (as part of duo Cannibal OX with Vordul Mega), but the 15-track LP’s aggressive boom-bap backdrop and sinister cypher rhymes harken the days when street records ran the airwaves. At it’s best, it’s refreshing.

“This is the kind of life I live / We gonna put you to sleep and take your rib / We gonna fondle your wife in front of your kids,” raps Vast Aire over Kount Fif’s brolic snare on “The Man Of Steel.” Fif delivers again on “Nomad,” mixing a rumbling gem layered lovely with blippy, electronic intonations. It sounds as if it’s designed for teleportation – or at least for disregarding the speed-limit.

“In the laboratory / Mixing up Gamma / Now my clothes is ready to rip like Banner’s / Now I’m dancing on the yard line like Sanders / Neon / You peon / Your arms is too short / To box / Dream on / You’re like pubic lice / You like to cling-on / ‘Cause I’m something like a Phenomenon.”

But undercutting OX 2010’s throwback stance is an unfortunate loquaciousness. He only sincerely veer’s from I’m-nicer-than-you commentary on the obligatory chick-track, “Horoscope,” and again to rehash his super played-out beef with Cage from his Def Jux days (“Battle Of The Planets”). It’s contextually redundant and “2090 (So Grimy)” sounds like a Dipset reject – the combination of which severely jeopardize replay value.

And even with that, OX 2010: A Street Odyssey is a suitable continuation to the Cannibal OX catalog, maintaining the integrity of the brand despite only one appearance by Vordul Mega. Man Bites Dog Records assembled a talented array of under-the-radar producers (sans Ayatollah) that crafted a cohesive sound for Vast Aire’s unapologetic lyrical griminess. Nostalgic or otherwise, it works for right now.